Rob Jansen has been in the information technology sector for over 25 years providing leadership, consulting, and implementation services to leading Fortune 1000 clients. As Chief Executive Officer and President of TekStream, Rob leads daily business operations and oversees the development and execution of the Company’s growth strategy and initiatives. Working with his team of industry-leading executives, Rob oversees all TekStream practice areas and functional disciplines including sales, solution development, and client delivery.
First off, can you help set the stage for what the current cybersecurity workforce looks like? How is AI impacting both organizations and entry-level talent?
The current cybersecurity workforce is undergoing a lot of change. At the forefront is the large talent gap. According to ISC2’s 2024 Cybersecurity Workforce study, the global active cyber workforce has stalled at 5.5 million, with the demand for talent sitting closer to 10.2 million.
Compounding the issue is the emergence of AI. Not only is AI making it easier for bad actors to stay ahead of cyber defense tactics, it’s also eliminated the need for many entry-level roles as it can handle most level 1 cyber risks on its own. This creates a hurdle that many college students are struggling to overcome upon graduation – how do they enter an industry that has no place for them but desperately needs them all the same?
Enter student-run SOCs, like the partnership between LSU, TekStream, Splunk and AWS. This first-of-its-kind program embeds students directly into real-world security operations, providing an opportunity for hands-on learning and resume building, giving them a professional advantage post-college.
What are the biggest industry shortcomings when it comes to addressing this talent gap?
Though the industry is well aware of the existing talent gap, the issue lies at a foundational level. We need more programs that foster and build the next generation of cybersecurity talent effectively. Additionally, with the pace that the industry is moving, we need more programs that can upskill existing talent, helping them to keep up with the cybersecurity environment.
How can public/private partnerships help address these shortcomings?
The advantage of public/private partnerships is that they combine resources, expertise and opportunities across sectors. For example, public sector funding can help support workforce development initiatives while private companies can offer the resources and opportunities for hands-on experience.
Programs like the one we have with LSU, Splunk and AWS for the student-run SOC provide the practical training, existing and future cybersecurity professionals need to be successful while also providing a cost-effective system for handling cybersecurity needs.
How are organizations benefitting from these partnerships? How are the students/soon-to-be next generation of cybersecurity talent benefitting?
Public/private partnerships that leverage a whole-of-state model benefit everyone, creating access to shared threat intelligence, resources and expertise. It also means improved incident response times and overall strengthened cyber resilience. When an incident does occur, the many can learn from the one organization impacted.
Additionally, public/private partnerships support industry development, encouraging coordinated responses, the development of new standards and facilitate workforce training.
Students and the next generation of cybersecurity talent benefit by being able to partake in the growing number of student-led SOCs that create an opportunity for practical, hands-on experience in the cybersecurity field. Because of the broader pool of resources these partnerships create, students have access to wealth of industry tools and leading talent to learn from.
Now that TekStream and its partners have established that public/private partnerships are the best way forward for all involved, what do you envision comes next?
TekStream and our partners like LSU, Splunk and AWS have established a model that is proven. Next is expansion. While we’ve established a solid foundation, leveraging our shared resources to improve general cybersecurity and upskill a new generation of industry talent, there’s room for growth. We’ve already started that expansion as well and are in the process of recreating the same model with the New Jersey Technical Institute (NJIT) and other universities.
We look forward to more opportunities to bring this model to other institutions and partners to continue creating a system that will help future-proof the cybersecurity industry.
